Air Handling Unit – What Are the Main Considerations for Buying

In general, the air handling units are widely used in a various range of industries like hospitals, laboratories, universities, commercial malls, retail showrooms and business centres, data centres and so on. These units help to maintain the indoor air quality by effective methods like odour filtration, temperature control and maintenance, noise reduction, draught and helps to circulate fresh air.

However. while investing in an ahu unit there are certain features to look in for before opting one for your home. Doing a little research before buying one helps you save time and money as it is a one-time investment which must have life-long durability without compromising the efficiency and consistency of the overall functioning of these units.

While purchasing an HVAC system, the quality of the ductwork is very crucial which carries the hot or cold air to other spaces of your home. Thus, buying an external duct which is round and insulated are the most efficient ones when compared to the flexible ducts which give a poor performance.

An Air handling unit can be manufactured either for horizontal air flow or a vertical air flow depending upon the customer’s requirements. However, these ahu systems should be constructed which meets the leakage requirement of BS 1886 leakage class L2 (DW143 class B).

Also, all the fan motors of a carrier air handler should be properly earth bonded with the help of a professional electrician and wired to the local isolators which must be mounted on vibration isolators.

Balance dampers work like a charm when coming to the noise factors of a diffuser grille where the heating and cooling system is typically installed. These Balance dampers must be placed with a certain distance from the diffuser which can be done under the guidance of a qualified technician.

All the HVAC system should use an environment-friendly refrigerant for all their heating and cooling functions. For instance, R-410 A is a recommended standard of a refrigerant.

Also, the indoor unit’s location affects the overall performance of the air handling unit. Furnaces which are mounted in a dedicated closets at the floor level inside the home is much more easier and safer as it will not cause any kind of leakage or water damage and also they are easily accessible to do a routine maintenance whereas an attic mounted furnace is not safe enough as it will gradually leak and lead to ceiling damage. However, in this case, extra attention needs to be taken like designing a secondary condensate pan as well as a separate drain line to the exterior.

Also, look in for a filter dryer which is typically installed in an air-conditioner liquid line. The main purpose of this filter dryer is it helps to extend the lifetime of the compressor by eliminating the unwanted moisture and any grit formation in the smaller units of the air conditioning system.

One of the important features which need to be considered while buying an air handling unit is the material of the air handler coil. In general, if the coil is made up of single metal like an aluminium coil or copper coil or copper fins or an aluminium fins, these give extended durability and maintains the efficiency of the whole air handling unit. Coated coils can also be used in the mild to a medium corrosive environment where the salty spray is utilised.

To have enough space for the conditioned air to circulate into a room, an equal amount of internal air should be expelled outside the room to experience an optimal temperature inside the room through an external and internal air diffuser respectively.